Broken prams, aerosol cans, a half-empty box of slug pellets and even bottles of urine have all been handed in at police stations in Staffordshire.

But packed property stores are to be a thing of the past following a major overhaul of just how forces handle lost items that turn up on their coutners.

Yesterday national changes came into force meaning the public are now encouraged to make 'reasonable attempts' to trace the owner of what they have come across.

Staffordshire Police say staff will deal with property under three main categories - items that will still be accepted so that 'legal obligations can be fulfilled which includes weapons, drugs, and those with a high value; items that will be processed and forwarded to the relevant organisations such as passports and driving licences; with the third being things the force will no longer accept including jewellery, bikes and clothing.

The force has long experienced packed property stores while enquiries are made to reunite items with owners and the administration that goes along with recording them.

Residents are being urged to take 'reasonable steps' to reunite some items with their owners (Image: Getty)

But Stephen Clews, who is contact services manager, says less than 1 per cent find their way 'home'. He told StokeonTrentLive: "We have a vast amount of things handed in to us - some that people would find hard to believe.

"But it is less than one per cent that are reunited with people not contacting us to report it as missing. We are left with a lot of things that have no use and we arrange to have them destroyed if there isn't any other uses and they cannot be given away."

Just what will Staffordshire Police accept...and what the force won't

Accept and record

"Something is appropriate or legally required to be bought to a police station so that legal obligations can be fulfilled."

Process immediately

"For items that fall into this category presented to front counters, Staffordshire Police would take the item and forward it on to the appropriate organisation as listed on the rear of the item. However members of the public will also be encouraged to do this themselves."

Items such as empty handbags, wallets, clothing, umbrellas, keys and glasses, now come under the 'not accept' list with the public asked to look to reunite them, themselves. Stephen said: "The best and quickest way now is social media, you see on Facebook and Twitter people putting details of something they have found in an effort to find the owner. Or it might just be asking in a couple of shops near to where they have found it. "

Stephen says the property stores at stations in the county have always been busy with the force making efforts to find a better use for items such as bikes. He said: "If they are not claimed we have looked to give them to the right charities so they can be used.

"But we have a lot of things brought in that should basically just be thrown away."

Read More

Some of the more unusual items brought in have included a partly-used box of slug pellets and even bottles of urine. He said: "We have had aerosol cans brought in and things clearly broken like prams. If something is rubbish then we would ask people to just throw it away."

But 'high value items', cash, mobile phones, computers will also be taken in. Alongside firearms, explosives, chemicals, items 'suspected of being involved in crime' along with HM Forces IDs, equipment and medals along with 'unidentifiable cash'.

Stephen said: "We don't want people keeping things that they just don't feel comfortable with such as a high value item. We still take certain things in and check to see if it has been reported as lost or stolen. We also check Facebook - just like everybody else!"

Drugs will be accepted by police if found (Image: Getty)

It is hoped the changes will free up police time - to a backdrop of well-documented cutbacks across the country.

Stephen added: "We spend a lot of time documenting found items and we have front counters across the county with a number of things coming in every day. We have to book them in, seal them, and then review them after a certain amount of time. In some cases we have to arrange for goods to be destroyed

"It's about focusing police on doing police work. There is no legislation to say we have to deal with property and this is a national decision and puts us in line with other forces. It means we can focus on doing what we should be doing."

Read More

Top stories on StokeonTrentLive

The recommendation came from the Police Front Counters Forum (PFCF) before being agreed at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). An initial announcement was made in October with the changes officially coming into force on February 1.

Cheshire Police has confirmed it is also giving out advice on how people should deal with items they have found. The constabulary say they will take in hazardous items, drugs, weapons and foreign national IDs and passports along with cash above £50. The force also says items found in public premises should be reported there and then as many operate their own lost property system.

Meanwhile Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire's police, fire and crime commissioner, added: "This is a national decision – I think we need to look at alternative ways of dealing with lost property and I shall pursue that."